Fear and Faith
by Noxid Anamchara
Summary: Carol has something to tell Daryl. But how will he take the news? Fear keeps her unsure. But it might just take some faith in the man she loves. Serious Caryl.
1. Confession

**Nox**: This was a prompt, requested by **klaineisbrave **on **Tumblr** and **FFnet**. I've had this in my head ever since you asked for it. I hope you like it. _Lots_ of **Caryl**. You don't ship it, you probably shouldn't be here.

**Disclaimer**: The Walking Dead belongs to Kirkman and AMC.

* * *

Confession

How was she supposed to tell him?

She wasn't. She _couldn't_.

But she _had too_. She couldn't _lie_ to him. Couldn't keep this from him. It was too big, would _become_ too big. How ironic.

When she was with Ed, it had taken her _years _to conceive Sophia. She'd lost one on the way, had broke her heart in two, but then she'd _finally _had Sophia. And she was her bright and shining star.

But Sophia was gone now. She'd accepted that.

And now this…this too could be _something_.

But could _he _accept that?

She dropped her head into her hands and groaned.

She'd just gotten him to accept her, and now she had to tell him she was…_No!_

She was forty-one years old for gods-sake! Her body couldn't do this! She'd already lived through _Eddard Peletier_ for twenty-two years. She'd suffered an entire lifetime of hell. He'd beaten her, degraded her, kept her locked away from the world, made her a _servant_ to his needs, forced her to have sex when she didn't want it, didn't _give _her sex when she did and had only achieved in giving her one amazing thing in her whole life.

And then the damn apocalypse came crashing down around them, like gods smiting fist and it was like her punishment for every thought she had had about Ed's failure, for his destruction, for his _death. _She didn't deny that she thought she had deserved some of the horrible things that had happened to her since the dead had started walking the earth.

But then she'd met _him_. And she'd never been so dazed in her entire life. He slowly became everything to her.

_Daryl Dixon._

Rough, untrained, unpredictable, and desperate, he quickly became someone she found herself inexplicably drawn to. She wasn't sure if it was the connection she felt to his soul, the way she wondered if he _too_ were lost and broken by a past he couldn't escape, or if it was the person inside of him that he was holding onto ferociously, the one he hid from everyone around him so that they wouldn't see just who he really was inside; brave, fierce, and stronger than he knew.

But it took a long time for him to come to terms with himself, to accept that he was a different man than he'd been led to believe his _entire life. _

And it took him a long time to see her.

She thought they'd become friends then. After Sophia died, something changed. Winter passed, the world was covered in snow, things began anew. And so did _they_.

She knew she was developing _feelings_ for him. But she also knew that it was something she would probably never get to act on.

And she was okay with that. Daryl was different than any other man she had known. He was hard around the edges, but there was a softness to him that you could see, once you sanded him down enough. He _cared_ about the group, provided for them like they were his family. Nobody had to _ask _him to hunt for more food when they were low. Nobody had to _ask_ him to search for supplies when they needed them. And nobody had to _ask_ him to place his life on the line for any others; he did that without question.

Before she knew it, she loved him. Loved the way he would just watch her, when she worried over the group. Loved the way he took initiative to do anything for Rick, like that's the way it just was. Loved the way he looked after Carl, like he was his little brother. Loved the way he kept himself off to the side like he didn't _really_ care, but still near enough that if anyone called him over, he wasn't too far.

She _loved _him. She loved _him_. She loved _Daryl Dixon_.

And before she knew it, one night, sitting round the dying fire while everyone else slept, she confessed it to him.

"_Daryl?" She was going to tell him to get some sleep, since she was up and couldn't herself. He grunted, tossing a stick into the fire. He didn't look at her, but she knew he was listening. He was _always_ listening. She loved him for that. _

"_I…I love you," she whispered instead. She felt her eyes pop out of her head. She hadn't _meant _to say it, but there it was. Like a damn elephant stomping it's feet between them. He whipped his head up to look at her, so fast, she thought he was gonna strain something. _

"_What the hell you just say?" She felt the blush creeping over her face and ducked her head, suddenly wishing she hadn't said it aloud. He was going to _hate _her now. He would never look at her the same. Their relationship, _whatever _it was, was now ruined, forever. _

"_It was nothing." His eyes narrowed and he gripped the crossbow tight in his hands. _

"_Weren't no _nothing_." But she couldn't look him in the eye and she couldn't say it again. She felt like she had just ruined what she had. And she hated herself for that. _

"_Fuck," he whispered, and stood. He started pacing, feet deftly avoiding the others sleeping beneath him. He was so quiet though that he didn't wake them. He stopped then, stared long and hard at her, and then whirled on his heel and left, disappearing into the darkness at his back. _

Turned out, he felt something for her too. Though it took him a while to actually come to her and _admit _that. Took him a _long_ time. He never _actually_ said he loved her though. It was the way he said it _without _saying it, and how he showed her.

And she didn't deny that she wanted to wrap her arms around him and _kiss_ him. She wanted to kiss him _so bad_. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, to know if they were soft or rough; if the stubble on his chin would scratch her. To feel his arms wrap around her body, protective, possessive. But he was a different kind of man. And she knew what boundaries to cross and what not too.

She waited for her moments, the little times when no one was looking, when they had the darkness to conceal them; to touch his hand, to caress his face, his arm, to linger against him longer than she normally would have. She _never _thought they would kiss, and then suddenly, he initiated one.

_She knew he was walking the perimeter of their camp, checking for walkers, for danger. As usual. And she couldn't sleep so she made her _own _rounds, checking on each member of the group. _

_When an arm snaked out and grabbed her, pulling her away. She almost screamed out in panic, but clamped her mouth shut when she found the hand connected to Daryl. _

"_Daryl what-" and then she found herself against his chest. His heart pounding fast beneath her hand. His eyes kept flicking between her and the group. Nervous. Now _she _felt anxious, unsure. _

_And then he pressed his lips to hers. Chaste, quick. He almost missed, getting her at just the corner. But she turned her head to meet his lips, and it made her heart skip, her breathe catching in her throat. It was so _soft._ And just as she was about to reach up and pull his head closer for something deeper, more _personal_, he pulled away. Eyes filled with panic, and danger. _Lust_. And then he ran, again. Disappearing into the trees. _

They'd had more exchanges since then. Awkward, sweet, longing. Even passionate.

And then…_then_.

She smiled, softly.

They'd only had sex, twice, and it had been awkward, and difficult and _wonderful._ But it had been with _him_.

And that was all that mattered.

But now? Now she was…

"Dammit," she muttered.

Now she was _pregnant_.

Pregnant! They'd only done it twice, and she was too old to be conceiving! She knew she should have kept the condoms instead of giving them up to Maggie and Glenn. No, instead she had assured Daryl that she was too _old,_ too _infertile_.

When in reality, she figured she was just too unfit to be a mother, so she thought the universe would see it the same way.

And now, she was five weeks late. Only just realizing it because her period had been spotty over the course of the last year, what with the stress, and lack of sleep and nourishment, and Sophia's death. But this time, it never came. And she knew she was a few years yet from menopause. So she'd asked Glenn to get her a test.

"_What?!" She grabbed his arms, trying to quiet him, all while glancing round their camp to see if anyone else had noticed._

"_Just…I need one." Glenn's mouth was catching flies. _

"_I just can't believe-that you-" Carol propped her fists on her hips. _

"_What? That I could be pregnant? I'm not _that _old Glenn, you ass." He blushed. _

"_No, I meant…having sex. With…" He glanced toward Daryl, and rubbed the back of his head. And now it was _her _turn to blush. She couldn't even look at him anymore. Was it _that _obvious?_

"_Please just don't tell anyone. He doesn't know yet. And if I'm wrong…" He clasped her arm, comfortingly. _

"_I won't."_

And then she'd taken the test. And there it was. That stupid little smiley face. As if a smile was what _everyone_ wanted to see. She'd tossed it, into some brush in frustration.

"What do I do?"

Would he run away, if she told him? Would he want her to get rid of it? Would he _accept _it?

She just didn't _know_. So, she would have to tell him.

Resolved, she stood up from her position by the tree line, and walked toward the rest of the group where Daryl sat.

He must have sensed her anxiety because he watched her approach with trepidation. She could see his shoulders tense, as his hands reached down to take the crossbow in one hand.

Even Rick noticed, as he kept glancing at her from out of the corner of his eyes.

"Daryl," she said softly, hoping to avoid catching everyone's attention, "can I talk to you?" His eyes narrowed, calculating.

"Yeah." And he didn't move, just sat there waiting for her to continue with whatever it was she needed to say. She started to fidget, as Glenn and Maggie turned to watch.

"Alone?" This time, he looked at her for a long time. It was when she placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, that he finally rose to his feet and followed her back to her place by the trees, away from the group's prying ears.

"What is it that you had pull me away from ev'ryone like that and make us look 'spicious?" The look in his eyes filled with her panic then, and she could feel her eyes beginning to burn. This wouldn't go well.

Suddenly, she didn't think it would go well _at all_.

"I.."

"Well spit it out woman. I ain't got all day." A tear slipped down her cheek. She knew he wasn't the one to be sensitive to these kinds of things. Her crying, was probably going to send him running before she could even get it _out_. She didn't want to scare him away before she even had a chance to tell him.

"Carol…fuck. What's wrong?" He reached out like he was going to try _something_ but then he pulled back, and rubbed the back of his head. He looked scared now.

"Just tell me what's wrong, a'ight? Can't be nothing that bad." She swallowed hard. She remembered thinking back on when she had first found out she was pregnant with Sophia. She had been so _happy_. Sure, she hadn't wanted her to be _Ed's_ but she was happy all the same.

Somehow, she wanted to be _happy _about this too. Somehow, she wanted _him _to be happy about it. So she took a deep breath, clasped her hands together and just said it.

"I'm pregnant."

He blinked. Once, twice and then his eyes went wide.

"Fuck you mean yer…yer…" He started pacing then, crossbow gripped tight. He couldn't even _say _it.

She started to cry then. She should have known he wouldn't have wanted this.

"Wha-what the hell you cryin' fer?" She wiped at her eyes, uselessly, and sniffed. Sometimes, she did wish he could just _know_. She hugged herself tight, looking away from him.

"You don't want it," she whispered softly, dejectedly. The crossbow fell to the ground and suddenly he was gripping her arms, tight.

"Course I fuckin' want it!" She was so surprised she didn't even know what to say, her voice lost, her mouth hanging open.

"I jus'-I don't-fuck." He let her go then and started pacing again, hands on his head. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so _lost_.

"Hell woman. You spring this shit on me 'n you think I'm jus' gonna jump fer fuckin' joy?"

"You _know_ I don't know _shit_ bout raisin' no fuckin' kid." She didn't understand because he was so good with Judith, so _careful_. She sometimes wondered where it came from. "And look at us." He gestured to everything around them. She didn't miss the panic in his eyes, the fear.

"Can't barely feed _one _kid, and now we got two? This world ain't cut out fer no babies." She wasn't sure if he was okay with this or not. Did he accept it, or was he against it? His words were so confusing. She wasn't sure if he was saying a kid was bad for the world so she shouldn't have it, or if it was just a bad _time _but that's just how shit worked and he would deal with it.

And then he pulled his shirt down, revealing a trail of scars against his collarbone. "My ol' man treated me like shit…" He said softly, his eyes downcast. "What if I'm…" He didn't finish.

And then it all made sense. He was _afraid_.

It was easy to take care of Judith, because she wasn't _really _his. She was, and she wasn't. But this child, that she carried within her, was _his_. His own flesh and blood. A _Dixon_.

And he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to care for it. He was afraid he would treat it just like his father had treated him.

"Oh Daryl," she said and took his face in her hands. He panicked for a moment, but she held tight. She caressed a thumb across his cheekbone, feeling a tear fall down her own.

"We _can_ do this." He didn't look so convinced, the worry and the fear still heavy in his blue eyes.

"You care for Judith. You care for the group. You care for _me_." He looked away from her, but didn't pull away.

"Whatever happens, _our_ baby will love you." He looked back, hesitation in his gaze now. She could sense that he could believe in that. She took her hands away and placed one over his chest, where she felt his heart beating frantically, the rough scars beneath her palm making her chest ache. She knew that Daryl would _never_ do anything to hurt their child.

"Because I know you'll _love_ our baby no matter what." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, her face burying in his chest, her lips brushing across his bare skin, across the marks of his past. She loved him, for all that he was. For all that had made him. She had _faith_ that he could do this. And she would help him see that.

"And that's all that matters."

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**A/N: **I don't _normally_ write Carol and Daryl _actually _together so this was sort of a challenge for me. Not sure how you'll all like it. But hey, it's Caryl! Together! What's not to love?

**The Prompt**: Carol finds out she's pregnant and has to tell Daryl.


	2. Hope

**Nox**: SURPRISE! I'm pretty sure, amongst all the angst and tragedy I write, Carol pregnant, and Daryl tryin' to cope with that just made me feel better. I _needed_ to write this, more than any of you _wanted_ it. But it makes all of us happy, doesn't it? And ma happy feels got away with me. Sue me.

**Disclaimer**: The Walking Dead belongs to Kirkman and AMC.

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Hope

Carol was sleeping in their make-shift nest. She was exhausted most days, tired before the day was even over. He supposed she couldn't help it.

Not when ya had something like this.

He rocked, shifting his arms and looked down. He couldn't stop staring at those blue eyes looking back at him. The same blue as his. The same blue as Merle's.

_Dixon_ eyes.

The baby gurgled in his arms. _His_ baby.

The thought was hard to swallow. He'd come to accept it, that he was having a kid, over the months. It'd been hard, but Carol had been patient. Hell if she weren't a god damn saint. He glanced over at her, sleeping in his blankets, curled tight on her side. A warm feeling gripped him tight. He don't know what he'd done to have her in his life, but he supposed he was lucky for it.

_["Yer a worthless piece a shit!" _

_It was a nightmare. It _had _to be. His ol' man was beatin'im again, yellin' at him. His ol' man was _dead_. Long gone, even 'fore the dead started walkin'. _

_But it was too fuckin' real. "Gone an' done it now, boy," he growled, grippin' him by the neck, haulin'im off the ground. _

_He brought'em face to face, those hard, life-less gray eyes boring into him. _

"_I'm a kill ya boy," he whispered, smilin' something _evil_. _

_And he couldn't sit there, an' let the old man treat him like this anymore. Merle weren't there to do nothin' bout it, an' all he had was hisself. _

_He tore at the hands holdin' him up, strugglin' to breathe. _

_He had to breathe, he had to _live_. He pulled the knife outta nowhere, an' swung it at the ol' man, not carin' whether he killed the sonuvabitch or not.]_

_He jerked awake. _

_He was shaking, out of breath, the sweat makin' his clothes stick to him. _

_And when his eyes focused, he realized he was holding a knife to Carol's throat, the one he kept by his head when he was sleeping. She'd backed away from him, but not gotten far enough. He musta gotten her while she was sleeping still. _

"_Daryl," she murmured softly. He watched as a red spot bloomed over her neck, just beneath the point of the blade. He pulled it away fast, and turned from her, onto his back, staring at the ceiling above him. _

_He could feel his heart slamming against his chest. He coulda fuckin' _killed_ her. Killed her, killed the baby. _

_Killed the only person he'd ever _loved_ in this whole damn world. The only person who'd ever loved _him_. He could feel his body begin to shake. _

_And then her hand was slipping into his, her fingers twining through his. She didn't shift closer, didn't put her arms around him, didn't do nothin' like he thought she might a, would a made him flinch at. _

"_I'm here," she whispered into the dark, and squeezed his hand softly once and then pulling it away to give him exactly what he needed. _

_She was telling him that she was staying right there, with him, no matter what. _

And here they were, sharing a bed, or _nest _as Carol called it. He still had nightmares, still woke up strugglin' some nights. Still couldn't shake the feelin' that he weren't worth _nothin'_. But she was always there, however he needed her. He was gettin' better at it, at lettin' her in. But he still couldn't let her see it all. An' she understood that.

"Even let me make the most important decision," he murmured softly to the bundle in his arms.

"_What about a name?" she murmured softly, rubbing her belly slowly. She was lying on her side, facing him. He was going through their provisions, double-checking _again_ that they had enough clothes and weapons, ammunition. Wanted to make sure he had everything that was his. He'd gotten into the habit of hiding all his other weapons on the far side of the room, just in case his body did somethin' stupid while he was sleepin'._

"_Come to bed," she called quietly. He looked up to find her eyes on him now, and she was pattin' his side a the bed. _

"_Gotta check," he grunted. He heard her sigh, but he ignored it. It wasn't until he felt her hand on his shoulder that he froze, hands in the bag. _

"_Daryl," she whispered in his ear. "I know you're tired. Just come sleep," and she tugged on his shoulder gently, pulling him up and toward the bed. He watched her climb into it, settle down. _

"_Now," she demanded more firmly this time. And he sat on the edge, tuggin' off his boots with his toes, runnin' his hands over his face. She'd be the death a him. He heard Jude cry out once, and then silence followed. _

"_Please Daryl," she begged. It always amazed him how she could be forceful one minute, and then pleading the next. Sometimes she was like that when they were doing _other _things._

_He shook the thoughts from his head, and lay down next to her, his arm behind his head. _

"_Already got one," he said, staring at the ceiling above him. She snuggled closer to him, sighing contently when her hand wrapped in his shirt, her head falling over his arm. He could feel the other arm snake around her belly, ghosting passed his side. _

"_One what?" she asked, her voice drifting. He looked down at her, at her trusting face, eyes closed. He felt her toes wiggle against his leg. "A name." Her eyes popped open, grew large and her arm snaked around his middle this time. He stiffened, but she didn't stop. She reached forward, placed her chin on his chest, eyes focused on him. _

"_You do." He could feel her belly pressed against his side. It still made him nervous. The idea that something was growing inside of her, something that was _his_. He still hadn't gotten up the nerve to feel it, and he knew it bothered her. _

_He nodded. She bit her bottom lip, and something stirred in him. He reached up and ran a finger across her bottom lip, caressing it softly. _

"_Yeah, I do," he murmured. She took a heavy breath, her eyes narrowing. "Ya gotta problem with that?" There was a long moment, and instead of feeling that same confidence he had before, he was suddenly nervous, anxious. He didn't like it when she _wasn't_ talkin'. _

_And then she leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers. He was shocked for a moment, but then he wrapped his arm around her, and deepened the kiss, her mouth opening gently to his. _

_When she pulled away, she sighed, her breath washing over his face. "Absolutely not," she breathed. He opened his eyes, and found a smile on her face. She ran her fingers softly over his cheek. _

"_Are you gonna tell me what it is?" she said with that lilt in her voice. "Or are you gonna make me wait?" He smirked up at her, and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes closed, and she leaned into his hand. He'd come to find out just how much she loved it when he did that. _

"_Ain't that what I'm good at?" She looked shocked at his answer, but then she hit him lightly in the side and laughed softly as she buried her face against him. _

That'd been one a the good days. When she was happy, when he was happy to be with her. Hell, shit weren't always that way. He knew it couldn't be, but he wanted to make Carol as comfortable as he could.

But it'd been hard on her body, as her belly got bigger. Been hard on her, on the group, on _him_. Hell if she weren't crying one minute, she were happier than an alcoholic with a bottle a Jack.

Her ankles swelled, her back an' hips ached. She was always hungry for somethin' they didn't have, an' she was always smellin' something they couldn't.

In the first two months, she couldn't stop pukin' at the smell a _anything_.

He smirked ruefully.

"Yer mama gave me a fuckin' scare," he whispered, "but don't tell her I told ya that."

_He'd been on a hunt for the past three days. Group needed a big kill, needed real meat. Especially Carol. He didn't want to leave her alone, but she'd insisted she would be fine. Maggie assured him, Rick assured, hell even Carl started assuring him. _

_He just gave up and went. _

_But when he came back, he found her bent over and puking by the gate, hands on her knees, Maggie rubbing her back gently. He dropped his kill and ran for her. _

"_The hell's goin' on?" he barked, rushing through the gate as Carl opened it for him, running to her side. He was about to shove Maggie out of the way when Carol brought a hand up, holding him at bay. She stood unsteadily, wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. _

_Rick and Carl came rushing over to see what was going on, Glenn following close behind. _

"_Someone better tell me what the fucks goin' on 'fore I lose my shit," he yelled, turnin' to them all. _

"_Daryl," she said hoarsely, her hand suddenly grasping his arm. He whirled on her, finding a smile on her face. He gripped her shoulders tight, shaking her slightly. _

"_Daryl," she said more firmly, eyes narrowing. "I'm _fine_. Just morning sickness." He stopped shaking her, relaxed his grip, and stared. Morning sickness. He vaguely remembered something Rick had said about Lori and puking in the morning all the time. Could remember the times she couldn't sit by the fire coz a the smell a the meat. _

_Then he pulled her into his arms gruffly. "Don't you fuckin' do that to me again," he whispered harshly. He felt her shake against him, a chuckle reaching his ears. _

"_No promises," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around his waist. _

She was right not to promise him. She'd gotten sick many mornings after that, for the first two months. In wasn't until the first trimester, as Hershel called it, was over that she was finally gettin' over it.

And hell, he'd never made any promises to her neither. They didn't have as many good days as he'd a liked. Carol may a been a patient woman, but that didn't mean she wasn't gonna put up with his shit all the time.

He found he liked that about her.

_She was pacing when he got back. She shouldn't a even been on her feet, but he could see Maggie an' Hershel standing behind her. They didn't look too happy neither. _

_And when she saw him, her face twisted into something he'd not seen before. She was _pissed_. "Daryl Dixon!" She stormed toward him, as fast as her swollen legs could carry her, and he had to hold back the laugh that threatened to burst from him. She _waddled_. _

_When she reached him she thrust her finger in his chest, eyes lit up in anger. "You said three days," she growled out. She musta picked that up from him, the threatening, coz it sounded real. _

_He looked down at her finger on his chest, his brow cocked. She'd never made a threatening move like that to him before. He was a little surprised by her action. "I said _maybe _three days. Had to git ma brother." He wasn't gonna tell her that he'd left with Merle, that he'd almost not come back. He'd made a promise to her to stay, but he'd Merle was blood. Her jaw clenched, and this time her hand fisted in his shirt. _

"_You can't be going away for a week!" He flinched at the way her voice echoed around him. He'd never heard her sound so angry before, sound so _desperate_. Maggie and Hershel shifted nervously behind her, looking away. _

"_I need you Daryl," she whispered hoarsely, tears threatening to spill over her eyes, and she moved closer, her little belly coming between them. "If you die out there__, then I'll be…" she couldn't even finish her sentence. Her head dropped, and for a minute he thought she was going to collapse in his arms. _

_But then her head jerked up, her anger renewed and she pushed away from him, forcefully. "Next time you tell me a time," and she pushed him, pushed him away from her, pushed him away with all the desperation and pain he knew was just escalating between them and the group constantly moving, "you better be _on time_. I don't care _who_ you have to save."_

_And she stormed away, pushing passed Maggie and Hershel who kept their eyes averted. _

_He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He'd never meant to make her upset. Never meant to leave. But he'd had to go with Merle. Had to make that peace with his brother. Had to somehow find his way back with him. Didn't really work out how he'd wanted, took him longer then he'd expected.  
_

_"Not exactly _warm_ that woman a yers." He exhaled, and just walked away, leavin' Merle to fend fer himself. For now, he just had to go to Carol, and tell her everything would be okay. _

_Had to make it right. _

"Yer ma finally forgave me," he whispered softly, bending his head forward to rub his cheek along his child's face. Kid was just like his ma. He wiggled and squirmed and rubbed his face up an' down against his own. Seemed he loved the feel a his scratchy face against his.

"Just like yer ma," he murmured, and he rested his lips on his boy's head.

His boy.

He'd never thought he'd have a boy. Hell, he'd thought the world was gonna stick him with a girl. Though the more he thought about it, sometimes he didn't wonder if he would feel less anxious with a girl. Less like he was gonna screw it up.

Was why he couldn't stand to touch her for all that time in the beginning, why he couldn't barely look at her swollen belly. The idea of raisin' a kid was hard to swallow, but if he had a boy – hell he didn't know what he was gonna do. He'd been round men his whole life an' not one a them had treated him worth a lick a good.

He didn't want to be like that. Didn't want to treat whatever kid came out like his ol' man had ever treated him.

_She was four months on now, an' it was bigger. Bigger than he'd thought it would be. Couldn't figure out why he was so damn shocked by it. Not like he wasn't around for Lori's pregnancy, but he'd never touched. Never wanted to feel lil asskicker movin' around in there. Once she came out that was a different story. Girl was real, was in his hands. He could see her right there. _

_But what Carol was talkin' bout? Shit weren't natural._

"_Daryl, it's just the baby kickin'." Her hand was on her belly, and he could tell when somethin' happened. Her eyes would change when it did. _

"_Please, just come feel," she said, holding out a hand for him. But he couldn't do it. Couldn't put his hand there, couldn't take the chance a hurtin' the only thing he'd made in the whole damn world. _

"_I-I can't," he barked out, and took off. Leaving her there. And the worst part was that she didn't even look upset. She looked like she was okay with that. _

"Hell, she finally got me to feel ya kickin'," he said down to the boy in his arms. Blue eyes didn't look away from his. "She knew I needed to know that. Woman loved ya 'fore you was even a hope." He let his fingers trail down his son's cheek softly, scared to do much else. His small hand reached up, and gripped his one finger with his whole fist. He felt his chest constrict.

"Yer lucky," he murmured down to the bundle in his arms, taking in every word he said. "Got a mama like that, who loves you like nothin' else on this whole damn world."

He ran his hand over the top of his head, the feel soft. He'd never felt a baby's head before Jude's. But this one was different. This one was _his_. And the smell. That was a whole 'nother thing altogether. He could remember when Jude had smelled like that. Like sweet innocence. He bent toward the bundle, hesitantly.

"Yer mine," he whispered gently, tucking his baby closer against his chest. "Never thought I'd say that, but ya are. Yer mama helped me see that. Can't say I'm not afraid a what's gonna happen in the future, but…"

He bent his head forward, touching their foreheads together. "I'm gonna take care a ya," he whispered softly.

A little hand reached up and touched his cheek gently, fingers playing along his stubble, blue eyes searching his own.

_She hobbled toward him, her belly huge now. He was sure she was gonna pop any day now. But hell if he knew what day she was on. She prob'ly did though. She was keepin' track a that shit. _

_She reached out to steady herself on his arm, took a deep breath. She was heavier in the face now, in the chest, and hips. Not as much as Hershel said she should be, but he said it was good. He could hear the words left unspoken between them. _

_Better than Lori had been. _

_She looked up at him and smiled, her cheeks flush. Pregnancy was right for her, he thought. She was meant to be a mama. _

"_How much farther do we have to go?" He looked around, took in the surroundings. He didn't hear any walkers, but that didn't mean there weren't any around. _

_He shifted on his feet, reached out his hand and placed it on her back. He liked the comfort of feeling her there, knowing she were next to him. _

"_House ain't that much further in," he said gesturing with the crossbow. They'd had to trek the rest of the way into the woods, the cars parked a few yards back. It was hard on her body. He didn't like it one damn bit. Rick was ahead of them, Carl to his left. Hershel trailed next to Carol, Beth helping him limp along slowly. Glenn and Maggie brought up the rear. Michonne and Andrea were out there somewhere, takin' care a the walkers around the house's perimeter. It was extremely slow going. _

_She nodded, wiping at her forehead. _

"_Does it at least have space for all of us?" she asked hopefully, searching out his face. He thought about the little two-story double pen, tucked away in a corner of the world. Thought about what they'd escaped back at the prison. It wasn't much, but it would do. _

_Course, the family that had been there hadn't gotten away so clean. He, Rick, and Carl had to take care of the seven walkers that had been left to rot. _

_That'd been a fuckin' mess. But it was well worth it. There were four rooms, a kitchen, an outhouse, and even a well. He weren't sure what worked or not, but it looked good enough for him, and with the baby on the way he needed something more than the dangerous wall of the prison for Carol to be in. _

_Long as the place had a bed, he'd thank any god who'd fuckin' listen._

"_Yeah," he said nodding, "the rabbits back there'll git their own room." He heard Glenn shout indignantly, but ignored it. "Rick said he'd take Carl and Hershel into another. Beth said she'd room with Michonne and Andrea. Girl's braver than I thought," he muttered. Carol smacked his arm playfully. He smiled down at her, noticing she was breathing heavier than before. He liked the way her cheeks flushed. _

"_Where does that leave us?" she asked thoughtfully. _

_He stopped, watching her rub at her belly absently, wincing once or twice. "Hell's wrong with you?" He didn't like it when she kept shit to herself. Havin' a baby in this world could be a death sentence, and as much as he wanted that little life inside of her, he wanted Carol even more. _

"_I think," she muttered between breaths, bending over a little, "I think its contractions." Her brows drew together. Hershel had told him enough that he knew what the hell contractions were. _

"_Carol?" Hershel called, bobbing over. "talk to me," he ordered. She looked up, her lip between her teeth. He could tell she was thinking. She glanced in the direction the house was, back at Hershel, then at him. She winced again, took a deep breath and reached out to grab his shoulder tight. She had a death grip on him. _

"_Definitely contractions," she whispered harshly, gritting her teeth suddenly. Her knees bent, almost sending her to the ground. He dropped the crossbow, and caught her, wrapping an arm behind her back, the other under her legs. _

_He grunted. Damn was she heavy. _

"_Gotten heavier, haven't I?" she remarked with that wicked smile on her face, panting as she did. Her arm went around his neck as she let her head fall to his shoulder. She kissed his neck softly, panting as she did.  
_

_"He's coming," she murmured. __His kid was coming. Kid was coming now of all the goddamn times. _

"_Rick!" he yelled, not caring whose attention he got, whether it was his people, or walkers. _

_And he ran. _

"Almost thought we was gonna have you in the woods," he said, laughing softly. Blue eyes watched him.

"A Dixon in the woods," he remarked. "Wouldn't be a first." He went to the bed, sat next to Carol. He let his hand fall to Carol's shoulder, over her head softly, his fingers coursing through her hair. She sighed contentedly.

She shifted her body towards his, still sleeping soundly.

He laid the baby between them, and her arm curled up around the bundle, protectively.

"Mine…" she mumbled, snuggling her face against their sons. He felt a fierce protectiveness rise inside of him, one he hadn't felt in a long time.

He'd never said anything to Carol about bein' afraid to have a son, though he wouldn't put it passed her to know. He was afraid of what that would make _him_. What he would become as a father. What he would make his child. His ol' man had done so much bad shit to him, he wasn't sure he'd be able to separate who he was from what his ol' man had been.

But now, seeing Carol wrapped so warmly around him, it wasn't so hard. Despite what he had become, despite what had become of Merle, he wouldn't ever let anything happen to his boy.

This Dixon would be different.

He'd make sure a that.

* * *

**A/N**: So what was a one-shot, is now, possibly, maybe turning into a _something_. I had never intended to go _anywhere_ after Chapter 1, but something caught hold of me. And while everybody writes Daryl with a girl first, I absolutely see a boy. A boy who would challenge his past, and his future. A boy who would be so much of Carol but look so much like him. Perhaps in the next chapter you shall have a name.

_Thanks for coming back. _


	3. Loved

**Nox: **So maybe, in a way, I dedicate this to Merle. Because _goddammit_ that man should have lived! And so, he will. Here in my world. Where Daryl has his son, and Merle is a man who can be redeemed _without_ being killed for it. My happy feels ran away with me! After Sunday's episode I _needed _it! Don't hurt me for it!

_The Walking Dead _belongs to Kirkman and AMC.

* * *

Loved

She wasn't sure what was more endearing. Daryl standing up for her, or for their baby. She realized it was both. She wondered if she should go out there and break it up, whatever it was between him and Glenn, but she knew they would work it out eventually. She figured it must have had to do with the living situation.

"Hey sugarmama." She didn't even turn from the window, just glanced over her shoulder. If she turned, he'd get an eye full of boob. Though she supposed it wouldn't be the first time.

"Merle," she said, releasing a breath. She figured _he _was the real reason Glenn and Daryl were fighting. Glenn was always finding something to complain about when it came to Merle. Not that she wanted to blame him, but enough time had passed. They'd escaped the tombs of the prison, killed the Governor together, traveled on even when he didn't need to come.

She was even beginning to _like_ him. She shook her head at the thought.

"What can I help you with?" She listened to the heavy clomp of his boots as he came to stand next to her. He glanced down at the boy in her arms, suckling from her breast, and didn't even flinch. It unnerved her a little. She didn't think Daryl would appreciate it either.

"Just came ta see ma nephew," he remarked slowly, eyes never straying from her son. He finally looked up, eyes on her, narrowing slightly.

"Think ya should really be up an' about like this?" She sighed dramatically. If she thought about it, he wasn't much different from Daryl in that he cared enough to give her a headache.

"Not you too," she whined, and walked away, toward the chair in the corner. She looked up in time to see the smirk vanish from his lips.

"Ya know ma brother," he commented, leavin' from the room suddenly, "he's gonna be pissed if he finds ya stressin' ya body out." And he was gone, voice fadin' down the hallway.

She smiled, shaking her head and looked down at her boy, his blue eyes finding her as he continued to suckle. "The day when Merle cares," she whispered softly, caressing the top of his head.

"_Why don't we let it sit for a few days," she said quietly, standing still, "think about it first." She was giving him the time to think about. He needed that, she knew. Needed the time to come to the decision. _

_He just paced, dragged a hand through his hair. "No," he barked back. She tensed. She didn't want to fight with him about this, didn't want him to make a decision he wasn't ready for. She knew how much pressure it was to have this baby. Knew how difficult it was for him to _accept_ that. She watched as his eyes filled with regret and walked towards her, fidgeted. _

_He looked so unsure of himself. He looked like a _child. _"We did this," he said regretfully, motioning to her stomach. And in that moment, she was offended. She'd never felt angry at him before, but right then, she'd never wanted to walk away from him so _bad_. _

_If he didn't want to be a part of this, then she didn't want him there. A man who didn't want her, she didn't want. Granted, she wanted Daryl more than she wanted life itself, but she'd been with Ed. She knew what it was like to live with someone who never wanted you, _ever_. _

"_If you don't want _this_ Daryl, then I don't need you," she said placing her hands over her belly, where her baby was, and backed away. _

_The force of her words, the confidence in them, hurt him. She could see that clear in his eyes. She didn't _want _to hurt him, but she didn't want a man who didn't want her. Didn't want a man who didn't want their child. She knew what that felt like, had lived with it for most of her life. She would never put herself through that again. _

"_Better make ya choice lil brother," Merle remarked dangerously, from her left. She didn't know he'd been listening, didn't even know he'd been around. "Better make the _good_ one." Daryl stared at his brother, and she watched something exchange between them before resolution set over his features. _

"_Carol," he said desperately, reaching out to take her arm, "I didn't mean it that way." She waited, holding his gaze steadily. She didn't doubt that Daryl would take care of her. But she had an idea of how hard having this child would be for him. _

"_I just meant," he said, floundered for the right words, for the courage to actually say them, "yer _my _woman." Her eyes widened. She never thought she would have heard that come out of his mouth. "And I ain't gonna let you sleep in some damn cell away from me. Can't keep an eye on ya when ya fifteen feet away," he muttered, casting his eyes down. _

_She'd never meant to push him further than he wanted to go. She wanted him to make his own decisions, based on his own feelings. She didn't want to pressure him to do something he didn't want. She knew what that felt like. _

"_Are you sure?" she asked, shifting closer, not yet touching him. She could still see the lingering uncertainty in his gaze. _

_He reached out, grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, close enough to touch his body, but not quite there. He looked down her figure, passed her chest, and down to her belly. _

"_I take care a my own," he whispered, looking up to meet her eyes. She smiled softly and leaned forward, resting her cheek against his, the stubble scratching her. She watched as Merle nodded in her direction, eyes set, face serious and walked away. _

_She suspected that somehow she was getting _two_ Dixons in this equation._

And she'd been right. Somehow, Merle had always been around when Daryl wasn't. Things had gone awry at the prison, but he'd never failed to be there for her if she'd absolutely needed it.

It wasn't all that _bad_ either. Merle was more of a _feeler_ than she'd expected. Where Daryl was hesitant to touch her in front of the others, Merle had no problem. He'd toss her over his shoulder if he coulda.

If she had something to say, she could say it outright to Merle's face and he'd laugh at her. He even ruffled her hair once, which shocked them both.

"Your Uncle's a lover," she said with a laugh. "But don't you _dare_ tell him I said that." She ran her fingers lightly across her son's cheek, his blue eyes, so much like Daryl's, watching her intently.

But it was when Daryl wasn't around that Merle took to _protecting _her seriously.

"_I'm perfectly capable of carrying a weapon still Maggie," she said confidently, handling the automatic rifle with ease. She knew her feet were starting to swell, and she'd developed a waddle much to the humor of her family. But that didn't mean she couldn't defend herself. Didn't mean she couldn't take up arms if the occasion called for it. Especially now, when the Governor's boots were knocking on their front steps. _

"_Carol, I just don't think, in your condition-" She looked up at Maggie sharply. She was _pregnant_ for god's sake, not a damn cripple. And even then, Hershel still contributed. _

"_Condition?" Maggie looked sheepish for a moment, before fiddling with the ammo on the table. _

"_You know I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that with the baby and all, you should be more careful." She watched Maggie's face, watched the concern fill her eyes. She sighed and laid her hand over the young woman's. _

"_I can't sit around and do nothing Maggie," she said gently, squeezing her fingers in her own. "I can't let you all put yourself in danger and sit back-"_

"_The hell you can woman!" Merle's voice boomed around her, echoing off the concrete walls. She hated that. "Bo-peep's right." Maggie's brow went up, but she didn't say anything. "Tha's ma nephew in there," he said, eyeing her stomach. She felt her eyes widen, felt the words leave her. _

"_The hell if I let you put him, or _yaself_ in any danger. Daryl'll kill me," he muttered. She watched a small smile slide over Maggie's lips. _

_She felt her chest constrict. She'd never thought she'd hear _anything _of the sort come out of Merle Dixon like that. _

"'_Sides," he said, throwing the metal stump round her shoulders, "yous a Dixon now." And she felt her face flush, and Maggie's smile widen even further. _

She sighed, leaning back in the chair. Merle wasn't always such a team player. He'd proven to be quite the ass when he wanted. But she couldn't deny that he'd done right by her when she needed him too.

And she knew it was because of Daryl and their son.

"Carol." She looked up in time to catch Daryl coming through the doorway, tired, weary. He had blood splashed across his chest, the crossbow slung across his shoulders. He looked like he'd rolled in the dirt a few times and he smelled worse.

He looked towards the window first, because that's where she normally was. She was always watching the group.

"Over here," she called gently. He turned on his heels quickly, and froze when he saw her. She smiled. He still wasn't used to the breast-feeding. Seeing her bared to anyone who came and went. Sometimes she wondered if he wasn't jealous that now _everyone_ was seeing her half-naked.

He dropped the crossbow to the ground and walked towards her.

He hesitated at first, his hand stretched out as if to touch his son. She could see the conflict in his eyes.

"I pro'bly smell like the dead," he muttered. It was just his way to try and evade them.

"Dead warmed over," she said smiling, joking. He didn't catch it though. Just started to back up. She reached forward to catch his arm before he could go any further, the boy in her arms detaching from her.

"Daryl, come back here," she demanded gently, pulling him towards her. He came a little unwillingly, nervous, but she wasn't going to let him run away. She knew he came up here to see their son, and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that.

"You know I don't care about that," she whispered. He looked down at the boy in her arms, caressing his cheek gently. The boy reached out for Daryl, arms stretching.

"Here," she said, passing him off. Their arms were awkward for a moment as she passed him over, but then Daryl held him close against his chest, blood and all. Boy didn't even notice.

"Someone wanna help me with dinner?" Beth called from the kitchen below. Daryl looked up, unsure.

"Deer's gotta be skinned, gutted," he said hesitantly. She smiled and grabbed his elbow, steering him toward the window seat. She adjusted her bra, her shirt with her other hand.

"You know I can do that now," she said softly. He sat down, eyes back on their boy, and she felt her heart swell.

"But ya shouldn't be on ya feet," he tried again. She laughed and took his face in her hands, the scruff of his face scratching her fingers. She remembered the feel of his stubble in _other_ places, and kissed him. Her tongue swept out along his bottom lip and he granted her access to his mouth, and her tongue met his, briefly. He pulled away quicker than she would have liked, but she could feel the growing urgency in him now.

She liked feeling wanted.

His eyes opened, slowly, and there was a dark haze over them.

She rubbed her cheek along his. "Then I'll just drag Merle in to take care of it," she murmured softly. She kissed his neck and then walked away, before she changed her mind about dinner.

"Besides," she called over her shoulder, taking in another glance of her boys, the feeling of love flooding over her, "I need another pillow."

His groan carried down the hall after her. She laughed.

_She knew he was getting tired of her staring at him. She could feel it in the way he kept looking at her, at the way his eyes would narrow. She couldn't help that she kept fidgeting either, pacing down by their makeshift river-stream. _

_She knew she just had to ask, but sometimes she felt like she didn't deserve everything he gave her. _

"_Hell woman," he shouted, drawing the attention of the others to them. She stopped her pacing, and turned to face him. He looked pissed now, and she knew he was tired. She knew he was tired because she was tossing and turning all night. He probably knew she was keeping something from him too. _

_He avoided looking at her belly and she hated the pinched feeling in her chest that did to her, but she ignored it. _

"_Got somethin' ta say to me?" He let his hands hang loose at his sides, covered in blood, filth under his nails. He'd been cleaning the squirrels he'd caught earlier, keeping up on the food for the group despite everything he still did for her. _

_She bit her bottom lip, unconsciously, and she didn't miss the way his gaze lingered. _

"_I…" she didn't finish, just avoided his gaze again. _

"_Spit it out Carol. Ya got somethin' to say, just say it. I ain't gonna sit there an' watch ya worry over nothin'." She twisted her hands together and sighed._

"_I can't sleep," she admitted, a blush creeping over her cheeks. _

"_Shit woman, I coulda told ya that!" She shot him a look that silenced his next retort. She crossed her arms over her chest, and squared her feet. _

"_I would never have guessed. It's not like you sleep with me anymore," she muttered under her breath. She didn't miss the way his cheeks flushed over, or the way his feet shifted nervously. _

_She sighed and dropped her arms. "You know I don't mean it like that. I just mean that you aren't _there_," and lord help her, she started to cry. She didn't want too, knew it would make him uncomfortable. He was already on edge with everything else going on, and she didn't want to add to that. She just couldn't _help _it. She was tired, she was achy, and she was _fat_. _

_But she couldn't tell him that. _

"_Carol," he said, reaching out to touch her, but stopped short, catching the blood on his hands. _

_But she didn't even care. She thrust herself into his arms and buried her face against his shoulder, ignoring the sweat under his arms, the blood on his hands, and the dirt on his face. _

_It didn't matter what he was looked or smelled like. _

"_I'm sorry I keep you up at night," she murmured against his chest, sniffling. "It's just, it's uncomfortable." She buried her nose in his shirt, the smell of Daryl still there, lying underneath everything else. She wanted that to wrap her up, to make her feel like home. _

"_Hell woman," he said wrapping an arm around her carefully. She could feel the hesitation in his embrace, the way his arm just barely held her. She knew everyone was watching them now. "If I knew what would _make _you comfortable I'd fix it," he mumbled, resting his chin on her head. _

_She'd been on and off for the past few weeks now. Affectionate one minute, and ready to take his head off the next. She knew it was hormones, and she knew Hershel had explained that to him. But she also knew that this was difficult for him. She just had to tell him. _

_Embarrassment be damned. _

"_Pillows," she said softly, avoiding his gaze, burying her face further into his shirt. She knew she didn't really need them. She used his arm most nights, or the extra blanket they kept in the cell with them. He must have been thinking the same thing because his face twisted in confusion. _

"_Two pillows to be exact," she murmured looking up to meet his gaze. _

_She knew it was going to be difficult to ask for the pillows. Stupid, really. He was already confused about most things concerning her pregnancy and now she needed pillows? A luxury that they couldn't really afford? _

_She rubbed her belly absently. _

"_One for my legs, and one for my back," she said as she placed one of her hands against her back, rubbing that too. _

"_Somethin' wrong with ya?" Her features pinched together, and then after a moment, she laughed. She reached out and touched his cheek gently. _

"_No Daryl," she said softly, the laughter dying on her lips, "but thank you for worrying." She smiled. "I can't lie on my back, so I lie on my side. And when I do my hips hurt. I need a pillow between my legs to relieve the pressure. And I need a pillow behind my back. It's hurting especially," she said grimacing, kneading her fingers along her spine. _

_She felt his fingers slide along her arm, reaching to her back. He shifted closer to her and she looked up, catching his eyes as he kneaded his fingers into her skin. Her lids dropped in pleasure at the pressure he put against her sore back._

"_Hell if pillows get ya to sleep, I'll make ya as many as ya want." She opened her eyes, and saw that he was serious. "Saw a couple a geese, couple yards back," he continued, gesturing behind him into the woods at his back, through the chain-link fence. _

_Her eyes widened and then she was laughing again. His eyes widened and he pulled her closer, his fingers tightening against her back. She touched his face, reached up, and kissed him softly on the lips. _

"_However you get me pillows Daryl Dixon, I'll use them wisely," she whispered against him, watching as his eyes lit up. _

He'd made her the pillows. And unfortunately they hadn't made it through their escape from the prison. But it didn't matter. She would survive.

"Do I cut the skin here," Beth asked hesitantly, her knife hovering over the carcass, "or here?" She laughed and pulled Beth's hand to the proper place and demonstrated just where to cut the skin from.

"The hell you think yer doin'?" Merle barked, storming into the kitchen. Beth jerked up, the blade sliding through a particularly nice piece of meat.

"Damn girlie!" He moved towards her quickly, took her hand in his, standing just to the side behind her. "Don't wanna fuck up a nice piece a venison like this," he crowed. A smile crawled over Beth's lips, and she let Merle guide her hand over the beast beneath her.

She heard him growl in frustration. "Shit ain't women's work," he muttered.

Beth propped her fists on her hips and cocked her head. "Well it's not like your being very _helpful_," she remarked dryly. She held the knife out then, her smile getting broader.

"Oh right," she said chuckling. "Silly me, you don't need that." Merle's arms tensed and the growl grew louder in his throat.

"Merle," she warned.

"Oh it's alright Carol," Beth said suddenly and turned back to the deer at the table. "Merle and I will be fine," she said smiling up at him, patting his arm. "Won't we?"

Carol couldn't help the laugh that burst from her. "Just _behave_," she said, turning away from them both and walking back up the stairs. Seemed she wasn't needed here.

"Mouse," he called suddenly, and she stopped, hand on the banister. She turned to him, finding his eyes questioning, curious.

"How's ma nephew?" She smiled, and shook her head.

"You were just up there Merle. He's fine," she said slowly. He shook his head, absently replacing Beth's hands next to him.

"An' ma brother?" She could hear the underlying message, the one that she knew he never needed to ask but he always seemed to do.

He always seemed to know that Daryl had been uncomfortable with her pregnancy. Or he knew that Daryl had always been uncomfortable with the fact that he was going to be a father. Whichever it was, Merle _knew_.

Merle knew and he was looking out for both her and her son. Merle knew and he was taking care of it all.

Merle _cared_.

"He's upstairs," she murmured softly, and what passed between them was something that happened only between family.

She walked up the stairs, leaving Merle and Beth to their project. And she walked into her room to find the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen.

Daryl was lying on the bed with their boy lying on his chest. He'd changed his shirt, had kicked off his boots and had somehow washed his face off. And then he'd fallen to the bed, and there they both slept.

She felt her eyes prick with tears.

It wasn't that long ago that she was still trying to get him to just _feel _their son, inside of her, through her belly.

"_Daryl just, here," she said, reaching out and grasping hold of his weathered, scarred fingers. She pulled him forward, fear clouding his features. She could feel the slight tremble in his hand, but she knew this was what he wanted. _

_She placed his hand across her belly, swollen. She was five months along now, and Daryl still hadn't touched her. Not since she'd first told him she could feel their 'miracle' bumping against her hand. He'd been avoiding her ever since. Something like that, inside of her _moving_, scared the hell out of him. Or so he said. _

_She ached for his touch, _anything_ really, but most of all, she wanted him to feel the life form growing inside of her. _

_And as his hand settled over her belly, over their baby, she could feel the kick. She watched Daryl's face, her hand resting over his. She waited, on bated breath, for the reaction she feared. She didn't want to scare him, but she wanted him to _know_ his child. She wanted him to love it. _

_His brows drew together and his fingers gripped hers, tight. He leaned in closer, and when the baby kicked again, he looked up at her, eyes wide. _

"_Is that…" She smiled softly, squeezing his hand gently. There was hope in that look, the fear falling away slowly. _

_She reached out and ran her free hand across his temple, brushing aside his shaggy hair. He didn't even seem to notice. _

"_Can I…can I talk to it?" She laughed and wrapped her hand around his neck, pulled him close, her lips finding his. She could feel the surprise, the hesitation, but he recovered quickly and responded. Moving closer to her, his own hand wrapping around her neck, gripping her firmly. She sighed contentedly against him, as his tongue sweeped out briefly, caressing her bottom lip. _

_He gripped her waist as she opened her eyes. "Of course you can talk to him," she murmured, the rush of emotions taking hold of her voice. _

_His brow went up, and he shifted even closer; his legs surrounding her, both of his arms now holding her waist. She didn't think she'd ever felt so safe, so content, so _loved_, in her entire life. _

"_Him?" She could see the tilt to his lips, and was glad that the tension was gone from his shoulders. _

_She rubbed a hand across his arm, emotions shifting in her at the scar under her fingers. It had taken him a while to let her touch the scars that were visible. She couldn't even think about the ones that marked his back. "Yes, him," she said quietly. _

_He leaned down, resting his ear against her belly. She wanted to capture this moment, forever. Wanted to hold it close to her heart. _

"_Hey there, lil man," he said softly, wrapping his arms around her body. She laid a hand on his back gently, and ran the other gently through his hair. She watched as he closed his eyes, breathing deep. It had taken him a long time, to get this close to her, to allow her to touch him like this. He still wouldn't come to bed unclothed, but it didn't bother her. The fact that they even _shared _his bed was enough. _

_And this, this tender moment was so unusual. He usually wasn't so intimate, so loving, so _touching_. She suspected he was fascinated by the little life-form growing inside of her to even notice. _

_He smiled, and she could feel the kick. "Better watch it boy," he said mock-serious, "you a Dixon." He rubbed her belly in circles, slow and gentle. The motion brought tears to her eyes. "And Dixons don't sass they mamas." _

_She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "I love you Daryl Dixon," she whispered. _

This moment now, she wanted to hold close to her heart. She loved both of these men in her life.

She approached the bed, and crawled into it as gently as she could so as not to disturb the picture before her. But she should have known better. The moment her hips hit the bed Daryl's hand reached out and pulled her against him, his arm wrapped firmly around her. She was shocked for a moment, but she recovered quickly.

Daryl buried his face against her head, and she reached up to caress her son's back. He didn't stir, not even when Daryl shifted and he rolled to the crease between them where he lay squished and comfortable.

She kissed the top of his blonde head, and propped her arm over him and around Daryl's waist. She closed her eyes, about to enjoy a nap with them when she felt something plop against her legs.

She opened her eyes to find a pillow resting over her knees, and when she looked up Daryl was peering down at her through half-lidded eyes, a smirk on his face.

She laughed softly, and swatted his side. And as she tucked the pillow between her legs he kissed the top of her head.

She never felt more loved.

* * *

**A/N**: So, Caryl. Merle. I even did a little Meth. Yeah, that's right folks. _Meth_. Carol is so much more lovey here. This whole chapter was just full of hugs and squishes and loves.

To any newcomers, don't be afraid to leave me a review, a comment, a _word_. I love all of you who find the time to read this.


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